The Legend of RED: Dragon Master
by Pokeman92
Summary: This is the story of Remus Emerentius Draco, a 10-year old boy that has decided that he is not happy with his quiet life in Pallet Town any longer. Unfortunately for him, Remus's Great-Aunt Valerie will stop at nothing to make sure Remus will not fall into the "trap" of Pokemon training. Join Remus as he fights his way towards becoming a Pokemon Gym Leader!
1. RED

The Legend of R.E.D.

Dragon Master

A Pokémon FireRed Storylocke by ThePokeman92

Chapter 1: R.E.D.

This is the story of Remus Emerentius Draco. If you were to meet Remus Emerentius Draco, he would prefer you not use his full name, for he did not like it very much. He much more preferred just being called 'Remus'. He rarely used his middle name or his last, even when writing it on school papers or official documents. Instead he always wrote his initials, "R.E.D.," and everyone seemed to know who he was. In fact, most people did not even know Remus's last name. 'Remus' was unique enough a name that most never even bothered to ask.

Remus behaved like any other decent child. He listened to his teachers, he got good grades, and he always played fair with the other kids, even when they were not playing nice in return. Like most kids around the world, he also loved Pokémon.

Pokémon were not new to the world, but Pokémon Training was, relatively speaking. Since ancient times, Pokémon training had been reserved for just those that could tame and develop close bonds with several other Pokémon, usually of the same type – although it is unclear exactly why. This was mostly because there were no easy ways to capture or transport Pokémon. Only those with the ability to befriend and earn the trust of a Pokémon on their own would ever have a chance to participate in a Pokémon battle, but all that was about to change at the turn of the millennium.

In 1996, three fantastic devices were invented which made Pokémon training accessible to the masses. The electronic PokéBall and its accompanying Electronic Pokémon Storage System allowed Pokémon to be captured in small capsules that could either contain them on a trainer's belt or be used to electronically transport the Pokémon as bits of data in a computer database to a remote location for storage. Additionally, the new PokéBalls allowed the trainer to control Pokémon through electronic impulse signals, allowing even those with no talent as a true Pokémon trainer to command the creatures in battle. Finally a few years later, the PokéDex – a high-tech encyclopedia on Pokémon and their abilities – allowed trainers to analyze or research almost anything about their Pokémon that they so desired.

The invention of these three devices ultimately turned the once lucrative and dangerous job of Pokémon training into a hobby that almost anyone could pick up in a day or two. Everyone who was anyone wanted to try to train Pokémon themselves! From the massive Kanto/Johto continent to the smallest of the Orange Islands, the training craze swept the world, and soon you could not walk ten feet in any civilized area without meeting a Pokémon trainer!

Remus wanted nothing more than to try to become a Pokémon trainer himself. Ever since he could remember, he's had a fascination with Pokémon training. Of course, the fact that his father was once a Pokémon trainer meant it was only natural that he wished to become one himself. In particular, Remus wanted to become a Gym Leader. He had heard all about the Gym Leaders in history class at school. They, along with the Elite Four members, were the only trainers in the world that got paid by the government to train Pokémon! It sounded like a dream job to Remus, so he decided he would study very hard and try to get a head start on his Pokémon training career.

Unfortunately for Remus, he lived in Pallet Town. Pallet Town was the one place left in the world of Pokémon where it seemed the training craze just did not catch on. Thus, it was very difficult to become a trainer if you lived there. Most people from Pallet Town chose instead to live normal Pokémon-free lives. Kids went to normal schools for a full 12 or more years, Adults went to work and maintained both their family and household, and life without Pokémon was just _normal_. Remus, however, was not what the Pallet folk would call 'normal'. He was not born in Pallet Town, nor did he move there intentionally to get away from it all. Unlike the rest of the town's residents, Pokémon training was simply in Remus's blood. He was going to become a trainer one day even if it meant traveling all the way back to his hometown, Cerulean City, to get a license.

It would have been very easy to get a Pokémon license from Cerulean City since it had a Pokémon Gym of its very own, but it was much too far away for Remus. With a large ocean and a Pokémon-infested woodland separating Pallet Town from the rest of the world, there was simply no way Remus could get a license on his own. Of course, his father might have been able to help him travel there, but his parents had both died just before he was born.

It was a rather strange and tragic event, to say the least. Remus's father had gone out to become a Pokémon Master many years ago. He was supposed to take time off from his training when Remus was born, but a freak hail storm around the Seafoam Islands sunk the ship he was traveling on a few days prior. His body was never recovered, and news did not reach the main land about the accident until Remus's mother was on her way to the hospital. His mother, grief-stricken over the tragic loss of her husband, died while in labor. Doctors had to operate quickly to save the newborn baby, but could do nothing to save his mother. Thus, Remus was born with no mother, no father, no sisters or brothers, grandparents or even cousins. He almost wound up in a foster home, but the hospital managed to track down who they thought was the boy's last surviving family member, Great-Aunt Valerie, who reluctantly took him in.

Aunt Valerie had moved to Pallet Town just a few months after taking in Remus, mostly to try and put as much distance between herself and other Pokémon Trainers as she could. She did not believe any person could make a decent living off of Pokémon training without sheer dumb luck or existing celebrity status. She wanted no part of that world for herself, or her grand-nephew. Not only that, but fighting each other with giant monsters sounded to Aunt Valerie like a sure way to die a most horrible, painful death, like her niece's husband. No, that was certainly not for her. Remus would not be able to rely on his Great-Aunt to send him off to get a Pokémon Training License in another town, he could not imagine it happening in a million years! Aunt Valerie's roots were very firmly based in traditional living and proper work – be it office jobs or manual labor – and she embraced those values with every single breath she took.

Remus on the other hand, was not really interested in following such old-fashioned values. He seemed to naturally attract and befriend Pokémon wherever he went. Whether it was playing tag with a Rattata in the backyard or befriending a flock of Pidgey while bird-watching on Route 1, everywhere Remus went Pokémon seemed to jump out of nowhere and follow him! Aunt Valerie always had to shoo the monstrous critters away whenever Remus came home.

"I didn't mean to bring them all home, Aunt Valerie," Remus would say to his aunt every time he showed up at the doorstep with a pack of Pokémon following him. "They don't listen to me when I tell them to go back!"

"Nonsense," Aunt Valerie would reply, waving her broom around and swatting at the nasty critters, who would then scatter off in every single direction imaginable. "If I can chase them away, then so can you." Then she would then put Remus to work cleaning, cooking, or doing other chores for the rest of the day to "keep the boy out of trouble," but all that really did was give him an excuse to try and stay out of the house as long as he could every day.

Now that is not to say Aunt Valerie did not love and care for her grand-nephew, but she was not the child's parent, nor did she ever have or want children of her own. Parenting was completely new to Aunt Valerie, and it showed in her parenting skills. Furthermore, she simply could not forgive her niece's husband for abandoning his duties as a parent to pursue what she thought was the most "irresponsible, irrational, and downright _improper_ career in the world" while his wife was getting ready to have a child at home. Alone. Because of him, _she_ needed to make sure that Remus grew up to be a respectable man. In order to do that, Aunt Valerie had to constantly check on Remus to make sure he was not slacking off or sneaking away to play with his Pokémon friends in the forest again. Each year wore on her more and more as Remus gained more independence, until she felt like she was constantly at her breaking point.

Perhaps some of this frustration and exhaustion was let out on Remus, or maybe he just did not understand some of the things his Aunt did to try and raise him "properly," but whatever the reason, this impacted Remus quite negatively. By the time he was 9, Remus had decided that he needed to go out on his own for both his and his Aunt's sake. If he was going to follow in his father's footsteps and become a Pokémon trainer, he needed to start as soon as he was eligible for a license.

On the day before his 10th birthday, Remus had just the bargaining chip needed to break the news to Aunt Valerie, so he told her his plans to follow in his father's footsteps that evening after dinner.

"That's ridiculous!" snorted Aunt Valerie as she was chopping away at some cabbage for a stew the next day. She turned around to look at Remus, who stared right back at her with an aura of determination and drive. "Oh, don't give me that look," She snapped. "You have no idea what sort of trouble you would get yourself into on your own. Traveling around the country with dangerous monsters! You could be kidnapped, you could get hurt, or worse!" She finished with a stern glare.

By "or worse" Remus knew she meant his father, but he did not care. His dad died of a freak boating accident after all, not while actually _training_ his Pokémon. Aunt Valerie always seemed to forget that little detail though.

"But Aunt Valerie!" Remus protested. "_Everyone_ who turns 10 is eligible for a Pokémon Trainer's License!"

"I've told you before I won't have it," Aunt Valerie replied. "You'll just have to find something else you want to do. Besides, I don't have the money to pay for your training and you know it."

The two had engaged in exactly this conversation many times before and the answer was always the same, but Remus had hoped that this time it would be different. He would be eligible for his trainer license tomorrow at last, and in his hands he held an official envelope bearing the seal of the Oak Laboratory, his only chance to become a Pokémon Trainer in Pallet Town.

"I got this letter today," Remus said, pulling the envelope out from under the table placing it on the table. "It's for the new Pokémon trainer's mentorship program at Professor Oak's Laboratory!"

Aunt Valerie brought the chef's knife down on the cutting board with a loud THUD! She turned to look at the ungrateful boy who was now wishing he had not spoken up at all. "What did you say?" She asked, very slowly. "What does that old windbag want with _you_?!"

Remus should have expected such a response, but the sheer anger such a name could summon still caught him off guard. Old Professor Oak was not exactly liked by the rest of Pallet Town. In fact, you could say that he is rather _hated _by them. Residents who had moved to the small town years ago came to get away from the Pokémon training frenzy that had been sweeping the world. It was because of Professor Oak – and the massive new research laboratory he had built a few months ago – that the once quiet town of Pallet had slowly begun to transform into the very thing the residents sought to get away from.

Aunt Valerie also happened to be one of the loudest protesters of the Oak Laboratory since it had been built and the floodgate of trainers and researchers had opened. Everyone in town now despised the once well-respected researcher for tainting the last slice of paradise left in the world. Aunt Valerie had even gone so far as to set up a petition to have his Laboratory forcibly closed to preserve the "Peace and Purity" of the town – a phrase referenced in their own motto.

"Give me the letter now," Aunt Valerie said, moving very deliberately towards the kitchen table and extending her arm. Even though Aunt Valerie was still about 5 feet away from him, Remus could see she was shaking. The veins on her temple were pulsating violently, as if they were about to explode. He had never seen her so upset before, not even when he had accidentally let an Ekans in the house last year. He slowly got up and presented the letter to Aunt Valerie, who immediately snatched it out of his hands. She ripped open the letter and began reading:

Master Remus Emerentius Draco,

It is my greatest pleasure to invite you to the Oak Laboratory tomorrow, June 23, 2007, as part of our new FREE **Pokémon Training Prospects **program. This new program will prepare you for life as a Pokémon Trainer and set you up with valuable skills and tools to aid in your success. As part of this 3-day program, you will team up with 2 other prospects to learn the basics of Pokémon Training using my own personal training regimen. In addition, you will receive your very own top-tier starter Pokémon (a choice between Bulbasaur, Charmander, and Squirtle) and your own copy of the latest edition PokéDex, widely regarded to be the single best tool for Pokémon trainers since the invention of the PokéBall itself.

This program is completely free to those that qualify as a _one-time opportunity_ on their 10th birthday. The government-mandated Pokémon Trainer's License Application Fee (1500) will need to be covered by the student, but the Starter Pokémon Fee and the first year of the Pokémon Center Healthcare Plan and Electronic Pokémon Storage System Plan will be covered by the Laboratory (a savings of (50,000).

If you wish to attend, please arrive at the main gates in full trainer gear tomorrow morning at 6 o'clock sharp.

I hope to see you at the Laboratory then.

Best wishes,

Samuel P. Oak

Director, the Oak Laboratory

Aunt Valerie finished reading but remained silent for a moment, her eyes darting between Remus and the letter. Remus took a chance and spoke up first.

"You don't have to do anything," he started, trying to spin the conversation back into his own control. "I've got everything already packed, I more than enough money to cover the application fee in my savings, and when I'm done with the training I'll know enough about Pokémon to start-"

"No." Aunt Valerie said simply, cutting Remus off. Then, to his horror, she began ripping the letter up in front of him and tossing the tiny pieces onto the table. "I'm not about to let you go off to learn about Pokémon with some crackpot old geezer and ruin your life!"

"I'm not going to ruin-"

"YES YOU ARE!" Aunt Valerie screamed, slamming her hands down on the table angrily. The minuscule pieces of paper fluttered back in front of her face as Remus cowered in his chair. "You don't get it, do you? NOTHING good can come from wasting precious years of your life chasing your father's dream! You see what happened to him, don't you?! Don't you see what happens to all those _Pokémon Trainers_ that fail and have to return home? They can't do ANYTHING because they have no education, no useful skills, and no desire to succeed in anything other than _Pokémon_!"

"My father didn't die training Pokémon," Remus said coldly, staring his aunt down again. "He died when a ship sank in the ocean. He could have made it as a master too, he had 7 badges in just 9 months!"

Aunt Valerie opened her mouth to say something, shut it, opened it again, then shut it once more and began pacing the room. She had not meant to lose her temper, but she knew no other way to tell Remus that he simply would not be going. It was a long time before she finally stopped pacing the kitchen and turned to look at Remus once more.

Aunt Valerie took a few deep breaths, sat down in the chair opposite Remus, and said just as calmly as she possibly could, "You aren't going, not as long as I can help it." She pointed out the window towards a rather large building off in the distance. "You are going to enroll in Madame Daisy's Preparatory School this fall, you are going to get good grades and get into a good University, and you are going to make something out of your life. Once you've finished with that you can do whatever you like, but _only then_."

"…I understand," Remus said, defeated. He put on his best depressed face and slowly got up from the table, taking care to avoid looking directly at Aunt Valerie's piercing eyes.

"Good," Aunt Valerie said, picking up the scattered pieces of paper and tossing them in the trash, "Now off to bed. We have to be up early tomorrow, Madame Daisy would like to meet you before the term starts so you'll need to look your best!" Remus nodded his head and slowly turned and trudged up the stairs to his room.

As soon as he left the room, Aunt Valerie let out a long sigh. _This parenting thing just is not getting any better_, she thought to herself as she instinctively walked over to the pantry and reached for a large, unopened bottle of brandy on the top. She stared at the bottle a long time before finally letting out another long sigh, grabbed a glass from the dish drain, uncorked the bottle, and poured herself a very large drink.

Meanwhile, Remus was not getting ready for bed. He was getting ready to sneak out. He had snuck out of the house dozens of times before – often to meet his friends and go hunting for nocturnal Pokémon – but this time he had no intention of coming back for a very long time, if at all. If he were to ever learn to be a Pokémon Trainer, Remus had to take his only chance at a license in Pallet Town. He would go to the Oak Laboratory and learn to be a Pokémon trainer if it was the last thing he ever did.

Remus had a small backpack stuffed with all the essentials he needed for the first few days of his journey ready to go in the corner of his room. He had packed three sets of clothes in the main compartment, a Town Map, compass, small first aid kit, camp stove, and a Potion in the smaller front compartment, and he had a small lunch cooler attached to the front loop which held 6 large cans of food. A sleeping bag was rolled up and attached to the top of the backpack, and a 1-liter plastic water bottle fit snugly in the only side pocket.

Remus quickly changed into a fresh set of clothes – a pair of blue jeans, a black undershirt, and red vest – and donned his favorite red and white Pokémon League cap. He then took all 4500 from the Jigglypuff coin bank on his nightstand and stuffed it inside a small Eevee-themed coin purse, which fit nicely into his inner vest pocket.

_Was there anything else? _Remus scanned the room once more, looking for anything he might need on his trip. He would not get the chance to come back, after all. As soon as the thought hit, Remus instantly remembered all that he would be leaving behind. All of his friends that used to sneak out with him and go looking for Pikachus at night (though they never did see any), his teachers that always thought so highly of him and his potential for the future, and of course old Mr. Richards, who lived just two houses down the road. Mr. Richards was the only person in Pallet Town Remus knew of that actually used to own a Pokémon. Remus would spend hours after school listening to Mr. Richards talk about the great big cities of the Kanto Region. He also loved to listen to the stories about all the battles Mr. Richards had with his fellow Pokémon many years ago, when the training craze first swept the nation. He decided that he would send Mr. Richards a postcard from one of the cities when he got there. He didn't want the kind old man worrying about him too much, after all.

Having decided that there was nothing else he needed from his room, Remus went over to his bed where he quickly stuffed a few sets of clothes under his blanket to form the shape of a person, then gathered all of his gear, shut the lights, and silently crept out of the bedroom.

Aunt Valerie was still downstairs, judging by the faint rays of light streaming up the steps, so Remus had to be extra quiet in opening the creaky bathroom door. He very slowly pulled the door open, millimeter by millimeter. Each slight creak by the door hinges made Remus cringe, but he didn't hear any signs of movement downstairs until finally the door was open just wide enough to slip through.

The bathroom window was incredibly small, even by most standards. If it weren't for Remus's incredibly skinny build, there would be no way he would be able to climb out and jump down to the bushes below. As it was, his backpack posed a bit of a problem, but after a lot of pushing and shoving Remus was able to squeeze the bag through the window and secure it on the corner of the ledge. He then climbed out of the window feet-first, using the narrow ledge a foothold while he slithered the rest of the way out into the cool, starry night. Stopping only momentarily to pick up his backpack again, he jumped down into the bushes and sprinted down the hillside towards the woodlands, where he would sleep until morning.

Aunt Valerie thought she heard something rustling in the bushes on the side of the house. _Stupid Rattatas_, she thought to herself, scowling at the half-empty glass of brandy in front of her. She would have to spray the bushes again to keep the nasty creatures away from her prized Berry patch. She let out a very long sigh and went to pour herself some more brandy, but the bottle was empty. _Hmm,_ _it must have been almost empty when I took it down,_ she thought to herself, as she got up shakily with the glass and hobbled over to the pantry again. She considered pulling down another bottle, but decided against it.

She stumbled up the stairs, nearly toppling over three or four times on the way up. Once at the foot of the stairs, she closed the bathroom door, then waltzed over to the door to Remus's room and peeked inside. Aunt Valerie's vision was quite blurry for some reason, but she could just barely see the outline of a human shape in the bed.

"I'm sorry," she whispered shakily, staring at the lumpy shape across the room. "But you'll be better off this way." She then quietly closed the door and retired to her own bed, ready for yet another sleepless night.


	2. Blue and Green

Remus awoke to the steady beep of his watch alarm just as the first rays of sunlight began to filter through the trees at the forest's edge. He stood up, trying to shake away the bugs and the strong scent of pine that had been floating around him all night. His clothes were damp from tossing and turning in the morning dew, and his back was aching from the night spent on the rocky soil, but surprisingly Remus felt well-rested and alert. He quickly rolled up his sleeping bag and gathered his things. His cap appeared to have been slept in by some sort of critter – it was full of light brown fur instead of the normal strand or two of Remus's own black hair. He shook it off and placed it back on his head before jogging back off towards them main road on his quiet suburban street.

Gradually, the layout of neat rows of houses and small shops gave way to a sprawling rural expanse. Rolling fields and the occasional farmhouse greeted Remus as he walked leisurely to the edge of the town, thinking about what sort of things lay in store for him in the mentorship program. He would be meeting two new trainers like him at the least, and he would be able to get his starter Pokémon and a license, but beyond that he honestly had no idea what to expect. Would they go over battle strategies, survival skills, or proper Pokémon care? Remus tried to remember what types were strong against others in case there was a quiz or something. _Fire is strong against grass and ice, water is strong against fire, as is…rock?_

"Good morning, Remus!" a loud voice echoed. Remus froze in his tracks. He looked up to see Mr. Richardson's tall figure leaning down to look at him. His long, light grey hair danced lightly in the crisp morning wind. "Fancy meeting you at edge of town this early in the morning!"

"Oh, good morning Mr. Richardson," Remus replied. Was Aunt Valerie already up? Had she sent the town on a mad search to hunt him down? "I uh…Are you just finishing up a morning walk?"

"Finishing it up?" Mr. Richardson chuckled as he twisted his wrinkled face into a broad smile. "No, no, I'm just getting started! I try to walk at least two or three miles each day. The morning air is great for an old man like myself, you know!"

"Is that so?" Remus silently breathed a sigh of relief. Mr. Richardson apparently was unaware he had run away from home. "Do you always come out to the edge of town?"

"Oh no, usually I take a walk over by the park, but I had to stop in to see Professor Oak this morning. His laboratory in Fuchsia City still holds my old Pidgeotto actually, so I check in from time to time to see if she's doing well."

"Oh wow, that's cool! Does Professor Oak care for the rest of your Pokémon too?"

"Ah, the rest of my Pokémon…" Mr. Richardson trailed off as he looked off towards the overcast morning sky. His wrinkly smile faded and Remus instantly regretted asking. He thought he could see a tear forming in Mr. Richardson's hazel eyes, but it was only for a moment. He turned back to Remus and gave another, softer smile "The rest of my Pokémon no longer roam this world."

"I-I'm sorry," Remus sputtered quickly. "I didn't mean to upset you or anything!"

"No, it's perfectly all right," he said, patting his rather large hand softly on Remus's shoulder. "I trained my Pokémon over 50 years ago, Remus. They lived long, fulfilling lives while I trained them, but Pokémon don't live forever. They grow old just like the rest of us, and when their time comes, they too move on."

"I never thought of it that way."

"Yes, but death is just another adventure, I like to believe. Incidentally child, it looks like you are headed out on an adventure yourself," Mr. Richardson said, pointing to the rolled-up sleeping bag on Remus's backpack. "Where are you off to, anyway?"

"Oh, I'm uh…" Remus let out a long sigh. He could not go on without telling Mr. Richardson after all. "I'm going to go learn to be a Pokémon Trainer, sir."

"Oh?" Mr. Richardson asked, surprised, and then broke into another wide smile. "So you're one of the trainers Professor Oak is teaching today! I always had you for a trainer, you know. There's something about you that just screams raw talent and determination! Oh-" he broke off, as he gestured towards the small backpack. "You aren't going to get very far with gear like that, you know."

"What? Why is that?" Remus asked. "I packed all of my camping gear and everything."

"My dear child, you would not last more than three days with just a small pack full of just the bare essentials! You don't even appear to have enough room in your bag for your Pokémon items!"

"Pokémon items?"

"Yes. Status healers like antidote, HP healers like potions, and other items like TMs and berries are all important to your Pokémon and their health! Your aunt should have asked me for help packing for you, I even have a few Potions at home I could have let you have."

"I packed it myself, but didn't think of all that," Remus said. He had not even known _Pokémon-specific_ items existed!

"Yes, most don't when they first start out," Mr. Richardson replied. "Not until their Pokémon get hurt, anyway. But this shop over here will have everything you need to be prepared for your trip." He took Remus's hand and steered him off towards a small corner store with a faded blue roof. The shop's flickering neon "Pokémart" sign was hanging at an odd angle from the front façade. It looked to Remus like it should have long ago closed down and been boarded up, but sure enough he could barely make out a sign that read "open for business" through the dirty front window.

When they entered the dingy, old-fashioned shop, Remus could only make out a single shelf in the back through the dim light. It contained a bunch of dusty old bottles of different-color liquids. His footsteps echoed loudly as he walked across the creaky wooden floorboards towards the shelf in the back. The items on the shelf were in identically shaped plastic bottles with a spray top and cap covering them, and each color bottle had a different name: POTION, ANTIDOTE, PARLYZ HEAL, AWAKENING, and BURN HEAL.

"So these are the Pokémon items?" he asked Mr. Richardson.

"Yes, these items are essential for healing your Pokémon on the road. Over there are the camping supplies as well," he said, pointing towards a large circular rack off in the corner of the store, where all sorts of bags, kits, and miscellaneous items hung from the metal hooks. "Now, let's just get a few basics here to get you through the first week or two."

A few minutes later, Remus and Mr. Richardson walked out of the corner store with a bunch of Potions, some Antidotes, a Parlyz Heal, an Awakening, and an oversize red and white travel backpack to put it all in. He also had some extra fuel for the camp stove, a special trainer belt with room for six Poké Balls – three on each side of the belt buckle, and a large canteen for drinking water to replace the old water bottle he originally packed. Mr. Richardson had insisted on paying for everything himself, all Remus could do was say "thank you!" over and over again as he transferred his items into the new bag.

"It's nothing, really!" Mr. Richardson said, smiling to Remus as they began walking at a brisk pace towards the Oak Laboratory. "I'm glad to be able to help you get started. Just promise me that you'll be smart and safe while on your journey."

"I will, sir, definitely!"

Once they reached the laboratory gates, Remus thanked Mr. Richardson once more for all he had done, and waved goodbye as he walked off. Ahead of Remus lie the magnificent Oak Laboratory.

The elaborately styled iron front gate alone towered over Remus by at least ten feet, but that was nothing compared to the main building itself, which was perched high atop a densely-forested hill. It stood at least a five stories tall with huge glass windows covering almost the entire front of the building. A large circular glass dome topped the center of the building, where he guessed the central research section was. Smaller buildings dotted the landscape, each built in a similar style but without the large dome top featured on the main one. The blades of a large tower mill in the background rotated silently with the wind, casting long shadows over the hillside as it turned. As he approached, the large iron gate automatically swung open, so Remus slowly walked in and began a long climb up the stone steps to the main building.

Inside, the main building was just as magnificent. The two-story entryway was tiled in marble that ran from the floor all the way up to the high-vaulted ceiling, which contained several mosaics of various bird Pokémon, most of which Remus was unfamiliar with. Across the hall, a large sweeping staircase lead to the upper research dome and three sets of doors led off towards the back and sides of the building. In the center was a small reception desk.

Remus walked up and rang the small bell on the desktop, which then immediately set off a much louder electronic bell that echoed over the intercom system. Immediately, the door to Remus's right opened up and out poked the head of a rather old gentleman with grey, balding hair and very square glasses. Looking around quickly, he spotted Remus, jabbed upward towards the top of the staircase with a thick stubby finger, and then quickly slammed the door shut again.

"Okay…" Remus whispered to himself. He had expected at least a welcome of some sort, but no matter. He slowly ascended the large marble staircase up to the main research floor.

At the top of the stairs were all sorts of crazy-looking electronic devices. Huge computer banks lined the back wall, all with rapidly flashing lights to dictate some form of activity. On either side of the room, a set of large French doors led to other sections of the lab. A large water tank was situated at the top of the stairs, where three Magikarp swam around peacefully. One seemed quite interested in Remus as he walked around the tank to get a better look at something protruding from the floor at the very center of the room, which turned out to be a large, circular platform. On top of the circular platform were three Poké Balls, which were arranged in a triangular fashion and encased in a circular glass dome. _The three starter Pokémon!_

"Aha! Good morning!" a deep, booming voice came from Remus's right. He turned towards the source of the voice to see another older gentleman emerging from the large French doors. This man had a full head of white hair – the only sign of any age in his otherwise wrinkle-free, almost perfectly thin face. A white lab coat draped his tall figure, dancing lightly as he sprang forward towards the new arrival with seemingly boundless energy.

"Um, hi?" Remus said as the man stopped no more than 6 inches in front of him. He studied Remus closely from above the rims of his circular glasses, which dangled dangerously on his hooked nose, as if it were about to topple to the floor.

"Hmm," he said, looking the boy up and down. "Let's see, short, male, short black hair and a skinny build, eyes scream intelligence but you don't seem to want to show it. Why, you must be Master Draco!"

"Remus if you please, sir," Remus replied as the man shook his hand rigorously. "And you are Professor Oak?"

"Oh most certainly not!" the man chuckled to himself. "I am one of Professor Oak's aides though, I often assist him with his research. Perhaps you have heard of me!" He pulled out a rolled up magazine and showed the cover to Remus. The cover showed the title '_Science Today!'_, and the year, 1997. In the center the magazine featured exactly the same man that was standing in front of him, the only difference being the long, beautifully flowing blonde hair that the man in the picture had.

"I'm sorry, but no," Remus said, gently pushing aside the magazine to look back at the older gentleman, who's face showed a look of complete disbelief.

"You haven't?!" He said in disbelief, throwing his arms up in the air. "Why I only made the most important scientific discovery in modern human history!"

"And what discovery was that?"

"Huh, you really don't know?" he replied, scratching his head. He tucked the magazine back into the front pocket of his black slacks, then he pulled something else from his coat pocket: an old, battered red and _pink_ Poké Ball! "I'm the inventor of the first modern Poké Ball, Evan Strome! I created this, the first design prototype for Silph Co."

"That's…impressive," Remus said, eyeing the ball. It appeared to have been hand carved, with a twisting mechanism at the top of the red half, which was presumably to release the ball's contents in place of the familiar center button. The top half of the ball was not transparent as most modern Poké Balls were though, so Remus could not tell if a Pokémon resided in it. "Does it work?"

"Of course it works!" Strome snapped. "I have my prized Pokémon in this ball, it is by far my rarest and most valuable!"

"Which Pokémon is that?"

"Ah" Strome replied, tucking the Poké Ball back into his lab coat pocket and lightly patting the top of the pocket's opening. "This is a Kabutops, a Pokémon many thought to be extinct until very recently. But I can't exactly show it to you in the lab right now. Very sharp scythes on its arms, you see. Would be a total disaster if it were to accidentally slice up any of the expensive scientific equipment here, after all."

"Yeah, I can see that."

"Anyway," Strome continued. "You'll be pleased to know that _I, Evan Strome¸_ will be your advisor during your mentorship program!"

"You mean Professor Oak isn't heading the program himself?"

"Ha!" Strome laughed loudly at Remus's remark. "As if he had that sort of time during what is perhaps his most important research breakthrough in his career? No, he has far too much on his plate for that, so I'll be headlining for you instead. Don't worry though, the great Professor Oak will be present when you all pick your starter Pokémon! Until then, let's go introduce you to the other students."

Remus followed Strome as he led him through the large door on the right to a small conference room. Inside, they were greeted by the two other children – a boy and a girl – who were both seated at a large square conference table that took up almost the entire room.

"Hi there!" The girl spoke up first in a soft voice, getting up from her seat to greet them. She extended one hand to Remus as she brushed her long sweeping brown hair away from her light green tank top with the other. "I go by Green, what's your name?"

Remus was about to use introduce himself by first name, but then stopped. "It's…_Red_," he replied after a beat.

"Red, huh?" Green remarked, dropping her hands to her side where they perfectly lined up with the hem of her dark red skirt. "That's cool! So where are you from anyway?"

"Here."

"Really? Wow, so is he!" she said, pointing to the other kid, who rose to his feet and glanced in Remus's direction. The kid was oddly familiar to Remus. The first thing that stuck out were the kid's eyes. They were a vivid blue, as deep as the ocean in the center and bright as the sky on the outer edges, bright enough to shine even through the messy brown hair that half covered his face.

"Blue?" Remus asked, as he saw the boy flash an unmistakable smirk in response. _It's definitely him_, Remus thought as they walked up to each other, each staring the other down intently. "So it is my old school rival after all."

"What do ya know," Blue chuckled to himself. "Your aunt let you get your license after all! So you go by _Red_ now, huh?"

"So you two know each other?" Green asked.

"Yeah," Remus said, ignoring Blue's offer for a handshake. "He and I go way back, at least back to preschool. But I thought you moved to Saffron City three years ago?"

"I did," He replied, brushing the hair from his eyes. "But I came back here to get my Pokémon license. My grandfather runs the place, after all!"

"Huh?" Green broke in. "You mean your grandfather is _the _Professor Oak?!"

"Yep. He's got an outpost a Saffron where I could have gotten my starter, but he wanted me to get it here for some reason, so here I am. Besides," he said, smirking again at Remus. "I had a feeling you would be here too. I couldn't pass up the chance to beat you in a Pokémon battle after all these years! Ever since that mock battle when we were kids, I've been waiting for a real chance to battle you!"

"Yeah, I remember that. I had befriended a Pidgey and you a Rattata," Remus said, thinking back to that moment five years ago. "And you _cheated!_"

"Did not!"

"Yes, you did!" Remus said, pointing his finger at Blue's face. "_You_ went after that Pidgey with a stick, trying to knock it out of the air so your Rattata could tackle it!"

"So what?" Blue scoffed, swiping away Remus's hand. "It wouldn't have changed anything. I would have won regardless if your aunt hadn't stopped us!"

Remus grabbed for the collar of Blue's neck, but Strom stepped in between them and pushed the two gently away. "All right, that's enough you two!" he said firmly. "You can settle this little feud of yours later. For now, take your seats, please."

Remus glared at Blue, who scoffed again and turned away from him, before walking away himself and sitting at the far end of the conference table. Green very hesitantly sat at the middle of the table, eyeing both of them.

"Well then," Strome said, and taking his own seat at the head of the conference table and pulling out a giant stack of papers from a hidden drawer, which he passed out to the three trainers. "Before we move on to getting your starter Pokémon, we just have a few forms to fill out in triplicate…"

About two hours later, the three trainers had finally finished signing all the papers. Remus's hand felt numb, he could barely twist the doorknob on the way out of the conference room, but he followed the other three out of the room and to the large circular platform in the center of the main research floor, where another gentleman was waiting for them. This man seemed to be at least in his late 60s, with snow white hair and a large, stubby build. His face almost perfectly formed a square as he opened his mouth to speak.

"Good morning, everybody! I am Professor Oak" The man said in a somewhat raspy voice, smiling at the three students.

"Good morning," They all said in unison. Strome took his place by his boss's side as they all gathered around the circular platform.

"Excellent, it looks like everyone is here. Now," Professor Oak said, clapping his rather large stubby hands together. "I believe you've all signed all the proper forms, so we'll just get right to it. In these Poké Balls," he gestured to the three balls on the platform, "are the three starter Pokémon: Bulbasaur, Charmander, and Squirtle," he finished, pointing to each ball as he said the name.

"So, there's only one of each?" Green asked, standing on the tips of her toes to lean over the tall platform and get a good look at the three Poké Balls.

"Erm, yes," Professor Oak said. "Unfortunately you three will not be _choosing_ your starters today."

"What?!" Blue asked, dropping his jaw in disbelief. "Come on, Gramps, you can't be serious!"

"I am serious, Blue," he replied. "The reason you three are here is because your training is helping my research. That research happens to be on Pokémon natures and the bonds with their trainers. As such, I've selected each of your partners based on their natures and your own."

"Our _natures_?" Remus asked.

"Yes," Professor Oak responded, pressing a button on the side of the platform. The glass dome began to open up, rotating smoothly along its center as the glass slowly disappeared underneath the platform. "Every person behaves differently from one another, and so does every Pokémon. No two Pokémon of the same species are the same, and it is my job to study how the natures of both people and Pokémon influence their abilities. There are many theories on the matter, but recently there's been a breakthrough that I believe might explain why certain trainers are able to develop bonds with their Pokémon more easily than others. That is where you three come in – to help me test my hypothesis.

"These Pokémon in particular were specially ordered for my research. They exhibit certain natures which should meld nicely with your own, if my research is correct. I'll let you all figure those natures out for yourselves though," He said, picking up the three Poké Balls and handing one to each of the students.

The Poké Ball Remus received immediately dropped from his numb writing hand and almost clattered to the floor, but he darted down and quickly snatched it back up mere inches from the marble.

"Careful there!" Professor Oak said to him. "Those Poké Balls aren't indestructible, and trust me when I say you don't want to break one."

"Sorry, sir," Remus said as he stood back up and inspected the ball in his hands. It was very heavy, almost as if it were made of lead. Through the semi-transparent red top, Remus could make out the shape of lizard-like creature looking up at him from the ball with a curious stare. It was hard to tell what color the creature was through the red tint, but from the large flame on the creature's tail he knew at once that he had been given the fire-type Charmander as his starter. He placed the ball in the first slot on his trainer belt as Professor Oak began to speak again.

"Ultimately, what I am looking for is to observe how well you three bond with the Pokémon you have been given. Over the course of the next year, you will be in regular contact with either myself or one of my aides. It will be your job to try your best to bond with your Pokémon as you train and help us to understand how Pokémon's nature either helps or hinders your training. Of course, this also means you should not box or trade your starters during the first year, or else you might undo any of the progress you make as partners. Do you understand?" he finished, fixing his gaze on Blue in particular, who was frowning at his own Poké Ball.

"Yes, sir," Remus and Green said together. Blue simply nodded quickly, tucking his Poké Ball away on his belt.

"Good." Professor Oak turned to his desk again and pulled out three red rectangular devices from his desk drawer and handing them out to the trainers. "These are your Pokédexes. Yours in particular are the latest beta model. Inside you will find your trainer license information on the main screen. It is very important you never lose this Pokédex, since it is your only legal form of identification."

The Pokédex felt far lighter than the Poké Ball had in Remus's hands. He pressed the only button on the outside of the device and the top sprung open forcefully. Inside was a small LCD screen, with two sets of four buttons, one on each side of the screen, and a tiny QWERTY keypad situated below it. Upon powering the device on using the small button in the upper corner, it instantly displayed Remus's trainer name "Red," as well as his date of birth, license issue date, and license expiration date.

"Dr. Strome will be teaching you about the main functions of the Pokédex over the next few days," Professor Oak said. Remus quickly closed his Pokédex and looked back up at the professor as he continued, "I look forward to hearing about your training progress, good luck, you three!"

With that, Professor Oak ducked away into the large door on the left side of the room, leaving the three of them with Strome.

"So we're stuck with you, huh?" Blue asked. "Typical. Gramps never seems to have time for anything these days."

"He's a very busy man, Blue," Strome replied, ignoring his remark. "Now, I will accompany you three to Viridian City, which should take about two days. On the way I will teach you the basics of Pokémon training, the final part of the mentorship program. First though I have to file your paperwork, so meet me at the back of the lab in 30 minutes." He then swiftly turned back towards the conference room and slammed the door shut.

There was nothing interesting to do in the lab, so the three trainers walked down to the field behind the main building to wait for Strome. The scent of lilacs greeted Remus as he sat down near a rainbow of blooming flowers near the edge of the building wall. Green sat down beside Remus as she pulled out her Poké Ball.

"So I got a Bulbasaur," She said, rolling the ball around in her hand aimlessly. "Which one did you get?"

"Charmander," Remus replied as he pulled out his own Poké Ball and peered at the figure inside. Again, he was greeted by the lizard's curious stare as it gazed upward at him. Something was…off about it though. Almost as if the creature had no real sense of what was going on. Or maybe it was just _bored_.

"You just gonna stare at it," Blue said loudly. Remus looked up to see him standing about ten feet away, tossing his own Poké Ball up and snatching it out of the air as soon as it started to drop. "Or are you ready to settle our old battle once and for all?"

"Hah, you're on, Blue!" Remus shot back as he jumped to his feet. He had been waiting for this moment for a long time. Finally the two of them would get to see who the better trainer was!

"Wait, already you guys?" Green asked. "You just got your Pokémon and you're already itching to battle them!"

"Of course we are," Blue responded. "I've only been waiting five years for this battle. Let's not waste any more time!"

Remus strode over to the opposite end of the field and looked once more at his Pokémon. "You ready, little guy?" He asked, and to his surprise the Charmander finally seemed to have some life in him. The ball rattled in his hand as it fidgeted around, eager to escape. "All right, LET'S GO!"


End file.
